The GHID Blog

Welcome to our blog, here we go in depth with our design projects and hopefully we teach you a bit about interior design and our industry. If you're looking for a specific blog post, check out our archive here!

Over time the kitchen has evolved from an unseen necessity located in the back or basement of the home, to the heart of the home as we know it today. The structure and layout of kitchens have gradually changed to make the most efficient use of space for cooking, dining and entertaining!
Take a look at some our kitchens designed with these commonly used measurements from This Old House, and learn a little about the history of our favorite kitchen appliances!

The Need For Space & Storage Solved

Up until the early 20th century, kitchens lacked any space for storage. Once this became recognized as an issue, the Hoosier Cabinet was introduced to hold and organize commonly used ingredients. Can you imagine a kitchen without cabinets to hide some of the clutter?!

The Microwave Pops Up As An Appliance We Can't Live Without

The first food ever cooked in a microwave was popcorn by inventor Percy Spencer. It wasn't until the later 1940's that it became available to the public after being tested in a Boston restaurant. Now they are found in over 90% of American kitchens!

Open Kitchens Become A Stage For Creativity & Social Activity

Once the extractor hood was perfected in the 1980's to control steam, scent and heat, open kitchens became possible and are now a selling point for many homes. Open kitchens also came at a time when cooking was considered to be less like work and more creative!

An Island With Room For Two, Or More!

Islands are a more recent development commonly found in open kitchens. They are designed to make room for people to cook together, and provide extra counter space for prepping, serving and socializing!

A Heated Transition From Gas to Electric

Food was cooked over open fire until the first gas stove was patented in the 18th century by inventor James Sharp. Gas stoves appeared in most homes until the 1920's when improvements in the distribution of electricity made electric ovens a competitive choice we favor to this day!

How does your kitchen measure up to these modern day standards? Find out more about kitchen design in Home Monthly's article on the New Canaan CARES Kitchen and Home Tour, which featured a design by GHID in collaboration with Michael Smith Architects, LLC.Facts and history found on Wikepedia.